Umbrella



Sept. 2, 1969 H. H. LOEFFLER UMBRELLA 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 16,

FIG

Sept. 2, 1969 H. H. LOEFFLER UMBRELLA 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 16, 1968 US. Cl. 135-20 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A double umbrella comprising two substantially identical umbrella units pivotally secured to each other at their canopies and handles shafts. The handle shaft of each unit is pivotally connected at its upper end to a canopy support stem.

This invention relates to umbrellas.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a collapsible, double umbrella. Other objects include providing a double umbrella of the type mentioned which can quickly and easily be separated into two, individually usable, substantially identical, single umbrella units.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by providing a double umbrella comprising two similar umbrella units pivotally secured to each other at the peripheries of their respective canopies and at the lower portion of their handle shafts, the handle shaft of each unit being pivotally connected at its upper end to a shaft canopy support stem and all pivotal connections being so spaced as to enable the umbrella units to collapse together. In preferred embodiments, the units are detachably connected together and each includes means for locking its handle shaft and stem in coaxial relationship.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, taken together with the attached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a double umbrella in its open position;

FIGS. 2 and 2a are sectional views of the umbrella of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of portions of the umbrella of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view of the FIG. 1 umbrella in its closed position;

FIG. 5 is a plan view partially in section, of an alternative double umbrella;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an umbrella unit of the double umbrella of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the umbrella unit of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a plan view of portions of the double umbrella of FIG. 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1-4 a double umbrella, generally designated 10, comprising a pair of substantially identical umbrella units 12, 13. Each umbrella unit 12, 13 includes a canopy 14 supported by seven flexible bows 16 extending radially outwardly from, and pivotally secured at their inner ends 18 to a central canopy support structure 20. Support structure 20 includes a canopy support stem 22 which extends axially from below to above canopy 14. The long handle shaft 24 of each unit is pivotally attached at its upper end 26 to the lower end of stem 22. A movable hub 30 is mounted coaxially on shaft 24 for sliding movement thereon. Seven circumferentially spaced canopy support links 32, each of which is pivotally connected at its outer end 34 to one of bows 16 and at its inner end 36 to hub 30, extend radially outward from hub 30. All sup- States Patent 0 3,464,431 Patented Sept. 2, 1969 port links 32 are of the same length and are secured to bows 16 at points 33 equidistant from central support structure 20. A conventional spring retainer 38 is provided in shaft 24 a short distance below upper end 26 for releasably engaging the underside of hub 30 to hold umbrella unit in its open position.

The handles and canopy structures of the two umbrella units 12, 13 comprising double umbrella unit 10 are pivotally secured to each other as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. The canopy structures are connected by interlocking rings or eyelets 40 at the outer ends of two circumferentially adjacent bows 16 of unit 12 with corresponding rings or eyelets 40 at the outer ends of two circumferentially adjacent bows 16 of unit 13 and stitching the outer radial portions 42 of the canopies 14 between the connected bows 16 to each other. The handle shafts 24 of units 12, 13 are adapted for relative pivotal movement by pivotally connecting the lower end 44 of each shaft 24' to a common connector 46. A conventional curved plastic handle 28 is secured to the lower end of a shaft 48 connected at its upper end 50 to and extending downwardly from connector 46.

As shown most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 2a, connector 46 comprises a box in the form of an isosceles triangle with the point of the triangle facing downwardly. The top of the connector (the triangle base) is open. Upper end 50 of shaft 48 is welded in position within connector 46 between the ends 44 of shafts 24 which, as previously indicated, are pivotally mounted within the connector. When double umbrella 10 is in its open position, handle shafts 24 and shaft 48 form a Y-configuration and shafts 24 engage the sides 54 of connector 46. When the double umbrella is closed, as shown in FIG. 4, shafts 24 lie against and engage end 50 of shaft 48.

The double umbrella 10 may be collapsed from its open position (FIGS. 1-3) to its closed position (FIG. 4) by depressing the spring retainers 38 on each shaft 24 and sliding hubs 30 down each shaft 24 away from canopies 14 to close units 12, 13 in the conventional manner. The angle at which the axis A of handle shaft 24 and hub 30 intersects the axis B of canopy 14 increases as the canopy is opened. When the canopy of umbrella unit 12 is open (see FIG. 3), support struts 32 form different angles with axis A, the angle 0: formed by the strut 32 most distant from unit 13 being substantially less than the angle 13 formed by the struts 32 nearest unit 13.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-8, there is illustrated a double umbrellaunit 10' comprising two substantially, identical umbrella units 12', 13', each of which is suitable for use either alone or as part of the double umbrella. The construction of umbrella units 12', 13' differs from that of previously described umbrella units in two principal respects, both of which are directed towards permitting the use of the units as individual umbrellas. First, the canopy structures of the two units are not permanently connected to each other. Rather one track 103 of a conventional zipper and a zipper slide 102 are provided at the outer edge of the canopy portion 42' between a pair of bows 16' of unit 12' and the other track of the zipper and a second slide 104 between a pair of bows 16' at the outer edge of the canopy of unit 13'. For joining to the units (see FIG. 8) the two canopy portions are placed together with zipper track 103 of one unit adjacent zipper track 105 of the other unit, and the zipper tracks then joined using one of slides 102, 104.

The other principal modification relates to the handle structure of units 12', 13. As shown, each unit includes a conventional curved plastic handle 28' secured to the lower end of a tubular shaft 110. The shaft 24' of each unit is mounted coaxially within tubular shaft for sliding movement relative thereto and the inside diameter of hub 30 is slightly greater than the outside diameter 3 of tubular shaft 110. Tubular shaft 110 includes a rectangular opening 112 in the side wall thereof for receiving spring retainer 38 and a hole 114 adjacent the upper end of handle 28 for receiving the pin assembly 118 used to join the tubular shafts 110 of units 12', 13' together.

When double umbrella 10 is in its open position (FIG. 5), tubular shaft 110 is axially extended relative to shaft 24'. Spring retainer 38' protrudes from shaft 24' and engages the lower end of hub 30' and the upper end 111 of tubular shaft 110, thereby holding the canopy open and tubular shaft 110 extended. When an umbrella unit 12 is to be used alone (see FIGS. 6 and 7), tubular shaft 110 is moved completely over shaft 24' and the lower portion of stem 22 so that its upper end 111 is adjacent fixed central support structure 20'. The tubular shaft 110 is held in position by spring retainer 38' which extends through opening 112 and when the umbrella unit is open also engages lower end of hub 30'. In this position, the wall of tubular shaft 110 locks stem 22 and handle shaft 24 in coaxial relationship and does not permit them to pivot relative to each other. Hub 30' slides upon tubular shaft 110 for opening and closing the canopy.

In other preferred embodiments, each unit 12, 13 may include more than seven bows and three or more adjacent bows of one unit may be connected to corresponding bows of the other unit; the center of the units may be brought closer together by joining the canopies at points closer but always radially outward of points 33 of bows 16; or connector 46 of umbrella may be eliminated and, as in umbrella 10', each of units 12, 13 provided with a conventional handle.

Other embodiments within the scope of the following claims will occur to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A double umbrella comprising:

two umbrella units,

each of said units including a canopy structure having a central support, a shaft, and a hub,

the hub of each of said units being movable between a first position in which the respective canopy structure is open and a second position in which the respective canopy structure is closed,

a portion of the periphery of the canopy structure of one of said units being secured to a portion of the periphery of the canopy structure of the other of said units,

the shaft of one of said units being pivotally connected to the shaft of the other of said units,

the shaft of each of said units being pivotally connected at its upper end to the central support structure of the respective unit,

the shafts and central support structures of said units being movable from first positions in which the shaft of each of said units is in substantially axial-alignment with the central support structure of the respective unit and is substantially parallel to the shaft of the other of said units to second positions in which the shaft of each of said units forms an angle with the central support structure of the respective unit and forms an angle with the shaft of the other of said units; and

means for opening the canopy structures of said units and, simultaneously therewith, causing relative movement of the shafts and central support structures of said units from said first toward said second positions. 2. In a double umbrella comprising two umbrella units, each of said units including a canopy structure, a shaft,

a set of struts, and a hub,

said canopy structure comprising a canopy, a central support structure, and a set of circumferentiallyspaced, radially-extending bows pivotally mounted upon the respective central support structure and arranged to support the canopy,

each set of struts being circumferentially spaced and 4 having their outer ends pivotally secured to the respective canopy structure and their inner ends secured to the respective hub, and

each hub being movable between a first position in which the respective canopy structure is open and a second position in which the respective canopy structure is collapsed,

the improvement wherein:

a portion of the periphery of the canopy structure of one of said units is secured to a portion of the periphery of the canopy structure of the other of said units;

the shaft of one of said units is pivotally connected to the shaft of the other of said units;

the shaft of each of said units is pivotally connected at=its upper end to the central support structure of the respective unit;

the angle at which the axis of the shaft of each of said units intersects the axis of the central support structure of the respective unit increases as the respective canopy structure is opened from its collapsed position; and,

each hub is mounted on the respective shaft for movement thereon between said first and second positions and said first and second positions of said each hub are both intermediate the pivotal connections of the respective shaft.

3. The double umbrella of claim 2 wherein the struts of each unit are all of substantially the same length and are secured at their outer ends to points on the respective canopy structure substantially equidistant from the canopy center.

4. The double umbrella of claim 2 wherein when said double umbrella is in its opened position, for each of said units, the struts thereof most distant from the other of said units form smaller angles with the shaft of the respective unit than do the struts thereof nearest said other unit.

5. The umbrella device of claim 2 wherein said shafts and canopy structures of said units are detachably secured together.

6. The umbrella device of claim 2 wherein said shafts are pivotally connected at their upper ends to said canopy structures and at their lower regions to a common connector, and said device includes a common third shaft fixed to and extending downwardly from said common connector.

7. In an umbrella device including a canopy structure comprising a canopy and a set of circumferentially spaced, radially extending bows pivotally mounted upon a central support structure and arranged to support the canopy, a shaft, and a set of circumferentially spaced struts having their outer ends pivotally secured to the canopy structure and their inner ends secured to a hub mounted on said shaft and free to move towards and away from the center of the canopy structure to extend and collapse said canopy structure to extend and collapse said canopy structure the improvement wherein said shaft is pivotally connected at its upper end to said support structure and said device includes a locking member mounted on said shaft for movement between a first position in which said locking member permits said shaft to pivot relative to said support structure and a second position in which said locking member prevents pivotal movement of said shaft relative to said support structure, said umbrella device including means for connection to a similar device for use as a double umbrella.

8. The umbrella device of claim 7 wherein a portion of the periphery of said canopy structure includes means adapted for attachment to the canopy structure of second umbrella device and the lower portion of said shaft includes means adapted for pivotally securing said shaft to the shaft of said second umbrella device.

9. The umbrella device of claim 7 wherein said locking member comprises a tubular member mounted coaxially with and surrounding said shaft for axial movement relative to said shaft.

10. The umbrella device of claim 9 including a retainer mounted on said shaft in position for engaging said hub when said canopy structure is in its open position and wherein said tubular member is axially movable relative to said shaft between a first extended position wherein the upper portion of said tubular member engages said retainer and a second position wherein an intermediate portion of said tubular member engages said retainer.

11. The umbrella device of claim 10 wherein said retainer extends through an opening in the wall of said tubular member when said tubular member is in said second position.

12. The umbrella device of claim 9 wherein a handle is secured to the lower end of said tubular member.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 779,241 1/ 1905 Schuller. 990,632 4/1911 Burton. 1,945,685 2/1934 Hall. 2,426,13 3 8 1947 Willis. 2,633,856 4/1953 Weaklend.

OTHER REFERENCES Funny Business, The Washington Daily News, Wednesday, June 29, 1949 p. 57.

PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examiner 

